Ka Relohin erro Majora
by Ceu Praca
Summary: Eight months after the events of "The Smallest Light," and trouble seems to find us all, whether we run to it or away from it...Unfortunately, this trouble is a bit much for most people to handle. Hope lies in the hands of the wielder of an ancient, golden artifact with unknown powers. This is a sequel, so read the first book FIRST!
1. Nightmare

**Hello!** After forcing y'all to wait a while, here it is, the sequel to _The Smallest Light_. (I can already see my DarkxMariel fans doing a happydance right now, lol) Unlike _TSL_, this story will be entirely in third-person, because it will be covering a lot of different viewpoints, and it will also feature shorter chapters. There will be a lot of new characters in this, too. :o) For those of you wondering what in Din's name I'm talking about...go read _The Smallest Light_. Now. _BEFORE_ you read this story.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Nintendo. I am not Retro Studios. I am not Shigeru Miyamoto. I do not own the _Legend of Zelda_. :P

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**1: Nightmare**

_Long, slender fingers curled around the edges of the mask, cracking it; with the splitting of the hard surface, a beam of red light shot out, and something long and slippery spilled out from the ruins of what was once Majora's Mask. It grew quickly in size, soon dwarfing the creature that had freed it, glaring down at it with glowing, amber eyes. "Why do you awaken me?" it snarled, the handles of two whips clutched in its hands, the lashes coiling up its arms and draping over its chest._

_The smaller creature, willowy and dark gray in appearance, looked up at Majora's Wrath with a single, red eye. "It issss time," the low, grating voice hissed. "Yourrrr Creatorrrrr isssss weak; now issss the moment to strike."_

_The massive, red demon cackled, kicking the remains of the mask to one side. "He has known this moment was coming for seven thousand years. Summon the army. We go to war."_

_The gray creature bowed, wide hands thumping on the ground in a rhythmic beat. "The sacrosanct realm will fall…" it rumbled ominously, still drumming…_

Eyes flashed open, and the woman bolted upright, gripping the thick tree branch until her hands grew numb, drenched in cold sweat. She shivered, scanning the dark woods quickly as if to reassure herself that the creatures of her nightmare were not lurking in the bushes before swinging down from her tree to the chilly forest floor, her booted feet sinking half an inch into the moist loam.

The woman, silver hair sticking out in all directions and shining in the moonlight, sighed heavily, rubbing sleep out of her sapphire eyes. T_hat's the third time I've had that dream this past week; what could it mean?_ she wondered. _Is it a vision of past events, or a portent of the future? It always seems so real, like it's happening right now…_

She glanced around warily at the darkness of the Faron Woods before heading northeast with long, rapid strides, her entire body tensed, ready for combat with an unseen enemy.

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**A/N:** Bonus points if you know who/what the "slender gray creature" is. =D Why is the unnamed woman sleeping in a tree? I have no idea. Wait, no...that's a lie. XD


	2. Dragon Breath

**2: Dragon Breath**  
**Two Weeks Later…**

"Dark?" Mariel called, walking slowly down the dusty streets of the mostly-abandoned village. She scowled, subconsciously rubbing her rounded belly and feeling a faint kick from within. "Ugh, vanished again. One of these days, I need to put some kind of tracking device on your father," she grumbled to the unborn baby, entering a massive, dusty barn and glaring at the enormous, solid gray lump that occupied more than half of the hay-strew room. "Arcilla, do you know where Dark is?" she demanded, nudging the silvery scales lightly.

A large, shining eye opened and peered at her from behind large, thick claws. "Noooo," the dragon groaned, lifting his horse-sized head up and staring at her before speaking laboriously, struggling with the Hylian words. "Darrr…go?"

"If didn't go, I wouldn't be looking for him, now would I?" she growled, leaving the barn. Arcilla's head snaked out after her; he licked her shoulder, huffing quietly, and she smiled, stroking his nose affectionately. "Don't worry yourself, he's probably just gone off to talk to Link again. You can go back to sleep."

"All…rihhh…" he assented, withdrawing back into the barn, cooing softly.

Mariel turned to go back to the old house that she and her husband occupied, when something gave her pause. Although the Hylian girl wasn't exactly well attuned to things of magical nature, she could always tell when she was being watched, and the creeping, prickling sensation up her spine made her think that whatever was spying on her was decidedly unfriendly.

"Hey, Arcilla, do you want to play a game?" she asked loudly enough for the drake to hear her.

The young dragon poked his head out from the barn again, blinking inquisitively. "Gaaaame?" he repeated, saying the word with a low rumble.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's called 'what can you smell?'"

She knew that Arcilla had an astoundingly keen sense of smell, in addition to an otherworldly perception. If she was right about being watched and it wasn't just her hormones making her overreact, then he might be able to detect whatever it was.

The dragon puffed, his four nostrils opening and closing rapidly as he tasted the air with his long, forked tongue. He seemed calm at first, then his prehensile, wiggling tail suddenly stiffened, and he laid his ears back, hissing. "Strrrraaaaangerrrrrr," he snarled, whipping his head around and staring at the cliffs.

Mariel pressed herself against the house, knowing that, with Arcilla there, she should be safe, but she felt worried nonetheless. "Who are you?" she shouted at the cliff, watching as Arcilla scraped his claws determinedly against the rocks, sending shrapnel flying in all directions. "Show yourself now, before I give the dragon permission to eat you!"

A slender form leapt gracefully over Arcilla's head, landing on the barn roof before swinging down to crouch in front of Mariel. The drake hissed again, this time with a note of malevolence, opening his cavernous jaws and scooping up the stranger's willowy body, his powerful tongue pinning her flat against the base of his mouth. "Marrrr?" he asked, rumbling softly.

To her credit, the woman, whoever she was, didn't panic at the fact that she was inside of a dragon's maw, Arcilla's eyes begging Mariel to give him permission to gulp her down.

"Sorry for the sneaking about," the woman spoke from behind Arcilla's curved teeth, her expression thoroughly shaken up, though, wisely, she didn't attempt to struggle. "I was looking for_ Vilat'i Rhaetaj_. When I didn't see him, I felt that it would be best if I didn't disturb you."

Mariel frowned. "You'd better tell me who you are, before I let him swallow. If you're someone _else_ who wants to kill my husband…"

The woman shook her head quickly. "No, I don't have any grudge whatsoever against him! I just need to talk to him. It's _very_ important. I promise, I'm not an enemy. I mean no harm."

The pregnant girl just stared at the stranger. "You didn't answer my question," she finally said. "Who are you?"

"I thought you already knew who Arcilla was," a different voice growled.

Mariel sighed in relief at the sight of Dark coming down the road, his head tipped curiously. "It's about time you came home! Can you please help me deal with this?"

The dragon purred deep in his throat, causing the woman to gasp and clutch at his tongue involuntarily, as if that could halt her from being swallowed whole by the massive creature. Arcilla turned his head toward the ancient warrior, who stiffened when he saw what was in the drake's mouth, his eyes widening in surprise. "Arcilla, what have I told you about eating junk food?"

The drake grumbled, his jaws forming a tight cage around the woman. Mariel went to Dark's side quickly. "We caught her sneaking around, and I'm not sure what to do with her. Arcilla wants to eat her. She says she wants to talk to you."

Dark went right up to the dragon's mouth, tapping his nose gently and peering through the sharp teeth at the drool-soaked woman. "Oh, really? And who might you be, eh?"

The stranger trembled, her wits obviously starting to crack slightly. "My name is Shora. If…if you could somehow persuade your dragon to…to not eat me…it would be much appreciated."

He scoffed. "No promises, lady. I don't like it when people mess with my family. What do you want?"

"Hyrule is in danger," Shora replied simply, finally panicking enough to try shoving at Arcilla's tongue; he merely growled and pressed her down harder.

Dark shook his head. "What makes you think I care? Do you even realize who you're talking to?"

"Let me rephrase that," the woman panted, short of breath due to the heavy oppression of Arcilla's hot, dank breath. "Every living being in Hyrule, Termina, and Twi'ila is in danger, and that includes you and your family. The Sacred Realm has become a place of shadow; even the dead are no longer safe."

Dark just stared at her, then glanced at Mariel. "Wait here."

"Where are you going?" she protested.

"To see whether or not this…_person_ speaks truth," he hissed, then vanished. Scarcely ten seconds had passed before he reappeared, eyes huge with shock. "There…there's a barrier around the Sacred Realm! Some kind of evil force pushed me back; I couldn't get in."

"I'm surprised you weren't outright attacked by the monster," Shora huffed, losing her patience and whacking at the dragon's teeth.

"Arcilla, let her go," Dark snapped.

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**A/N:** By the way, forgive me if things seem a bit stiff in my writing; I'm _really_ not used to writing about "domestic" Dark. :P In case you've forgotten, _Vilat'i__ Rhaetaj_ means "Winter's Breath," and is often shortened to just "_Vilat_." If you don't know why Dark has this name...you should've paid attention while reading _The Smallest Light_. And if you _still_ haven't read it yet...what are you waiting for?! Oh, yes, Shora is the person from the first chapter. If you go onto my profile, you will find a link to a website called "The Dragon Series," where you'll find artwork of a lot of my characters. :o)


	3. Explanation

**3: Explanation**

Shora found herself spat violently onto the dusty ground in a pool of dragon slobber, and she rolled quickly to the side, jumping to her feet shakily and pressing her back against a wall, eyeing Arcilla with both awe and trepidation. "Thank you," she said with absolute sincerity, trying to get her racing heart to calm down.

The tall, silver-haired warrior approached, staring down at her as though trying to figure something out; Shora grimaced, wiping herself off as best as she could. _Not exactly what I had planned,_ she thought wryly, shaking her head.

"Care to explain what's going on?" _Vilat_ growled, crimson eyes narrowing into a glare. "What is that thing in the Sacred Realm?"

"Majora," she replied, staring down at herself in disgust. _I wonder how hard it is to wash out dragon spit?_

"What is Majora?" Mariel asked, looking confused.

"The demon that strangled _Vilat_ and almost killed you and the hero eight months ago," Shora answered matter-of-factly, double-checking that her knife was still in its proper place in her belt.

"I thought Link got rid of that thing," the warrior snarled. "And don't call me _Vilat_; my name is Dark."

She bowed her head respectfully. "As you wish. I have no desire to anger you. No, Link did not kill it. Majora cannot be destroyed by mere mortals. It was actually stopped by a creature of the immortal realm that is known only by the name Oni. Of course, that happened after you were already dead, so Link was the only one who saw him. Oni soon left, returning to his own realm to imprison the creature Majora. Both Oni and Majora are ancient, powerful, and have long been the sworn enemies of each other. No one knows their full story, only that, somehow, Majora has escaped again, and this time, it has taken command of the Sacred Realm."

Shora paused to catch her breath, and Dark raised an eyebrow. "So…what, exactly, do you want _me_ to do? It was proven eight months ago that I can't harm Majora, at least not severely. You'd be better off looking for this 'Oni' person."

"That's the problem. Link has searched for Oni, with no success. It's as if the ancient one has…vanished. He is not in Termina or Hyrule, and we have no way of accessing the Twilight Realm to know where or not he is hidden there."

"Who is Oni, exactly?" Mariel inquired.

"No one knows for sure. Maybe a man, maybe not. He is more powerful than anything we know of, save one individual."

"Who is that other individual?" Dark rumbled, stroking Arcilla's nose lightly.

Shora smiled. "Sorry, I can't tell you. There are some things which must remain a secret. I'm here to ask for your aid in finding Oni. Your teleportation and shadow-walking abilities would be invaluable."

"And where do you fit in?" he asked, frowning.

"I'm just the messenger. Will you help us, or not?"

He hesitated, then looked at his wife, brow furrowed. "I…I can't. Our child will be born any day now; I will not leave Mariel, no matter what happens. I'm sorry, Shora, but my family is my priority. I have to say no. Find help elsewhere."


	4. Iva

**4: Iva**

Shora sighed, disappointed. "If that is your choice, then I will honor it, although I may as well mention it now: even if you do not wish to get involved, the battle will eventually find you."

"_Gransi, alensalin,_" Dark hissed.

"I love how you automatically assume that I know Shaekar," Shora chuckled, shaking her head. "I get your point; I will leave you now. Let me know if you change your mind."

"_Laekera lia kallun,_" he muttered, rolling his eyes. "I _know_ you have Sheikah blood, although it's well hidden. _Iva_. Get out of here before I lose my patience."

She bowed respectfully, then turned away and left the ancient village without another word. Mariel glanced up at Dark, a spark of mischief in her eyes. "You won't leave me, huh? Then where were you this morning?"

He flinched. "I'm sorry about that. I…I needed to bury something in the desert."

"'Something,' eh?" she laughed, shaking her head. "Fine, keep your secrets. As long as it wasn't Link that you buried. The lady has a point, though; what's the point of staying if we're going to be in danger, anyway?"

"I'd rather fight the enemy on my terms," he replied, shrugging before twisting to look up at Arcilla. "Since when do you think humans are food?" he asked, scowling.

The dragon grumbled something long, garbled, and high pitched before slinking back into the barn with a huff, smacking Dark in the back with his tail as he went. "What did he say?" Mariel demanded, glaring at her husband.

"Something about how it's customary for dragons to eat people that they don't like," he answered with a smirk.

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**A/N:** Yes, there will be _Shaekar_ in this story. In fact, the entire Sheikah tribe will be given more depth in this story. As usual, I will provide translations. (And if you don't already know what _Shaekar_ is, then you apparently haven't been paying attention throughout my Dragon Series. :P)

_"Gransi, alensalin." =_ *bleep*, outsider. {_Gransi_ is a Sheikah swear word that, compared to the English language, means something similar to bug off, but much more vulgar. Obviously,Mariel doesn't understand _Shaekar_...otherwise she would have immediately whacked Dark for using such language}

_"Laekera lia kallun."_ = "I am steel." {This is a commonly used Sheikah expression that is sort of an idiom; it basically means "You won't be able to change my mind, so don't bother trying."}

_"Iva."_ = "Go." {This is a more polite way to tell someone to bug off. XD}


	5. Quiet Discussion

**5: Quiet Discussion**

That night, a half moon rose, bathing the open fields of Hyrule in silvery light to reveal the rickety bones of the stalhounds as they prowled the sparse grass, searching for unsuspecting prey. They encountered a fox sleeping peacefully under a bush, and crept nearer, surrounding it to pounce, when the fox raised his head and purred softly, opening wide, solid black eyes to stare into the soulless skull of the beast that was nearest to it. There was a moment of profound silence, then the golden fox, as big as a wolfos, fluffed out his mane of fur and growled menacingly.

The stalhounds yelped at once, running in mass panic, and the fox chuckled, rising to his paws and shaking vigorously, golden fur rippling over strong muscles, his three, silky tails wagging playfully as he watched the demon beasts run.

"The underworld grows more savage each day," the fox murmured, blinking sleepily and stretching, sticking out a soft, pink tongue as he yawned. "Do you agree, young Finder?"

Shora crept out from behind a tree, smiling wryly at the creature. "I wondered whether you were aware of me or not, Keaton."

"I am aware of most things," the fox rumbled, slinking over and rubbing against her body, catlike, to nuzzle her hand. "But there are some things which I do not know. Did Winter give you an answer?"

She sighed, sinking down to the grass, unable to hold back a small laugh as the massive beast started licking her cheek. "Yes, he gave me an answer. He said no."

Keaton echoed her sigh, flicking his ears. "I feared as much. Your father is our last hope now."

"If you happen to know where he is, then please, tell me," Shora snarled. "He's been missing for six months now!"

Keaton closed his eyes briefly, then nuzzled her hand again. "I wish I could tell you. You know that I an bound closer to him than any other. However, he has deliberately cut off all communication with me. I cannot find him."

"Do you at least know why he left?" she asked bitterly.

"No. He would not tell me. All I know is that he is beyond my sight. Do not fear, Shoraen, he will return. It is just a matter of _when_."

"I just hope that _when_ is not too late," she growled. "If we cannot find Oni in time, then he is our only chance of defeating this threat."

Keaton curled up beside her, his three tails flicking to form a soft, fluffy blanket over her. "Your father will return in time," he assured her softly, black eyes gazing up at her in adoration.

She smiled, scratching behind his ears until he started purring in enjoyment. "You're the one thing in my life that never changes, you know that?" she whispered, burying her face into his thick mane of fur, and breathing in his scent, clear and cold like the mountain air.

"Come now, child, rest. We will speak after the sun has risen…"

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**A/N1:** Yay, Keaton! He will be in this story quite a bit. My AU version of Keaton depicts him as the only one of his kind, not merely one in an entire species, and my Keaton acts like a cross between a dog and a cat. Yes, he is as big as a wolfos. XD

**A/N2: **By the way, Keaton refers to Dark as "Winter" because that is the literal translation of Dark's title, "_Vilat_." As you will see, Keaton often has his own nicknames for people. Why does he call Shora "Finder?" Well...you'll see. And yes, her full name is Shoraen.


	6. The Lake

**A/N:** Don't worry, Arcilla's Hylian speech gets better as the story progresses. :o)

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**6: The Lake**

"Arcilla, that's disgusting!" Mariel complained as the dragon munched happily on a blue tektite, the creature's innards dripping from his maw. "Chew with your mouth closed, you beast!"

"Tayyyy good," the dragon purred, licking his teeth and diving back into the waters of Lake Hylia with a massive splash.

Dark shook his head, chuckling. "Next thing you know, you'll be telling him 'sit up straight' and 'look both ways.'"

"And don't think I won't," she said, smacking him lightly. "I need the practice. Our kid is probably going to end up every bit as chaotic as you, if all his kicking is anything to go by."

She sat down with her feet dangling in the water, peering into the depths and watching the sleek, sinuous dragon as he spiraled through the water chasing fish and tektites. "Where do you think Shora went?"

"Probably to beg for some other guy's help," Dark grunted, looking around warily; although the three of them came to Lake Hylia quite often so that Arcilla could hunt, he was still cautious about being out in the open.

"Do you think that Link knows about her?" Mariel wondered.

"_She_ knew about _him_, so it's probably safe to say that he would know her," Dark replied, frowning and sitting next to her. "There was something strangely…_familiar_ about her, but I couldn't quite place it."

"Maybe it was just her silver hair," she suggested.

"Maybe," he conceded. "She definitely has Sheikah blood, though, which confuses me. Last I checked, Link, Lorian and I were the only Sheikah/Hylian hybrids out there. She's not pure Sheikah."

"We could always ask Link the next time we see him."

"I hate asking him about things," Dark growled.

"He's your _brother_," she reminded him with a nudge. "You shouldn't be so reluctant to speak with him! I thought your talk with him in the desert cleared things up between you."

"It did…but he's still annoying."

She rolled her eyes, shoving him into the water; rather than floundering to the surface like she would have, he kicked his feet and dove downward until he grabbed the dragon by the neck; Arcilla flipped around in the water and streaked toward the surface, Dark clinging to him, and the two splashed onto the shore, splattering her in the process.

"You're probably the world's first dragon rider, you know that?" she shouted up at him, laughing.

Her husband grinned down at her, and Arcilla hissed, twisting to grab Dark's tunic in his teeth, yanking him off and dropping him beside Mariel. "Staaay off," he growled, flicking Dark with his tongue.

"The dragon has spoken," he chuckled, straightening his tunic, hair matted down over his eyes. "I am _not_ a dragon rider. I assume you're not hungry anymore, what with all those tektites you ate?"

Arcilla nodded the affirmative, reaching down to grab Mariel gently and sit her on his back; she rolled her eyes. "Oh, so it's fine for _me_ to ride you, but not him?"

He purred, licking Dark and swiping him with slobber as he did so. "Youuu….differrrent."

"Oh, sure," Dark muttered, wiping his face off disgustedly. "You just have favorites."


	7. Soup

**A/N:** Sorry for the super-long absence, guys, but...well, I'm not going to tell you everything crazy going on in my personal life, but my life is really busy right now.

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**7: Soup**

"Time, you should eat something," the young woman prompted, poking him with a spoon. "You've been sitting here all night."

Link glanced up from the ancient, leather-bound book, frowning slightly, but he made no move to take the bowl of soup. "I can't, Raili; I have to find Oni before it's too late."

She huffed quietly, plunking the bowl down in front of him next to the open book before moving to stand close to his right side, staring down at his heavily scarred face. "Seems to me that Oni doesn't want to be found. You've been searching for him for seven months, and I don't think your books are going to be much help in the matter."

"He's out there somewhere. Even super-powered moon kings can't hide forever," Link muttered, trying to focus on the yellowed pages.

She reached out and stroked his hair, causing the hero to close his remaining eye and mumble something incoherent before catching her wrist and giving her a stern look. "Raili, you're being really distracting."

She grinned, planting one hand on the desk and leaning in front of him, blocking his view of the book. "I know. And I won't stop being distracting until you eat; you haven't left your room for three days, and you haven't eaten _anything_ in over forty-eight hours. I get worried about you."

"I've managed to survive for three thousand years without your help, Raili. I think I can take care of myself."

"Our past exploits in Ikana proved that you _can't_, actually," she countered cheekily, tapping his nose. He growled and bit the tip of her finger gently, his sapphire eye flashing with good humor, and she laughed, flicking his ear with her free hand to make him let go. "You're criminal, Time. C'mon, eat the soup, and I'll leave you alone."

"I can't, I have work to do," he sighed, closing his eye again, then he felt a spoon press against his lips. _She's not going to give up,_ he concluded with some annoyance, opening his mouth reluctantly, and the warm, spicy flavor of pumpkin soup hit his taste buds, making Link realize suddenly that he actually was hungry; he opened his eye and snatched the spoon from her, eating the soup ravenously to the accompaniment of her amused chuckles.

"_Finally_. I was starting to wonder if I'd have to force-feed you," Raili said, shaking her head and moving to sit on the edge of his desk.

He set the empty bowl aside and glared up at her. "You're delaying my search for the _one_ man who can save all of our lives. Are you done irritating me yet?"

"Not in the slightest," she replied cheerily. "What are you reading?"

Link gazed at her steadily for a moment, then shrugged, gesturing to the open book. "This volume is called _Ehtre Saon_. It was written by the Queen of Destiny three eras ago and contains the history of the Sheikah tribe. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have anything about Oni."

"Why would it?" she asked, confused. "What does Oni have to do with the Sheikah?"

"_Oni_ is a _Shaekar_ word that translated into Hylian, means 'Trouble,'" he answered matter-of-factly, flipping another page. "I don't think that's coincidence."

"Oh, great, his name means trouble," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "That's not exactly inspiring confidence in this guy…too bad Lorian's not around or we could ask him; he knows more about the Sheikah than we do."

He flinched. "I _wish_ he was here, believe me."

She gave him a pointed look. "Still no idea where he ran off to?"

"No. At first, I thought he'd just gone off to do his own research, but he's been gone so long…" Link trailed off, scowling. "I'm worried about him, Raili. He could be hurt, or even lost, and I have no way of finding him."

"If I know your brother, then Lorian is _not_ lost," she chided softly. "I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is."

"I really hope you're right…"

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**A/N1:** Okay, trivia time! Who was paying attention? Have you noticed anything particularly _interesting_ about this chapter? XD

**A/N2:** Who is this "Raili" girl, and why does she call Link "Time?" It's...a long story. You'll find out later on exactly who she is. She's an awesome character, though; you'll grow to love her soon enough. :o) And, yeah, Link puts up with her no matter how much she hassles him.


	8. Forge

**8: Forge**

Sparks flew up with every blow from the iron hammer, and the steel glowed red as it gradually took shape; the massive, powerfully built man was so focused on his craft that he didn't seem to notice when the door to the forge opened and a narrow form slipped through.

Shoraen stood beside a table littered with weapons, her gaze fixed on the man, who continued to work on the steel, ignoring her. She eyed the red-hot metal, realizing that it was a wrist plate from a piece of armor, then blinked when he plunged the steel into a bucket of water to cool it off, causing her to see black spots in her vision.

"It's not finished yet," the man growled, making her jump; she hadn't realized that he was aware of her presence.

"I kind of figured it wouldn't be, Amur. It was a complex order," she replied, walking up to him. "I just wanted to know how far along you were."

Amur Kao turned and looked down at her, frowning, then he held out the wrist plate. "See if that fits."

Shora took it carefully; it was still warm, but no longer molten, and aligned perfectly to the contours of her left wrist. She studied it, noticing that the silver surface held a faint, golden glow, then gave it back to him. "It does. What steel are you using?"

He set it on a bench next to an identical plate. "It's called _rota kallun_. I'm sure you know what that means."

"Where did you get access to Sheikah steel? I thought Zoran would be the best you would have."

"A craftsman never reveals his trade secrets," Amur scolded, eyeing her warily before taking a piece of unforged metal and placing it in the fire to be heated. "You may be one of Lorian's informants, but I refuse to trust you when you won't even give me your name."

"I never asked for your trust," Shora answered, running a hand over a broken longsword that laid on the table. "I merely asked for your help. I need this armor. When do you think it will be finished?"

"By the end of next week," he grunted, scowling. "I don't like you sneaking about. Link should know that you're here."

"He'll know about me when it's time," she assured him. "For now, I require secrecy.

He shook his head disapprovingly. "I expect that you will provide me with answers after this armor is complete."

"Answers to what?"

He stared at her, his green eyes dead serious. "For one, why you need weapons and a suit of armor. Link has been asking questions about my work down here; he wants to know who I am making this for. Secondly, I want to know who you are."

"I am going to war, and I am a guardian," she said evasively. "And that is really all you need to know. I will talk to Link soon, but not yet. He hasn't seen or heard from me in over three eras; I can afford to not make contact for a little while longer."

Amur turned back to the unfinished armor, muttering softly, and Shora smiled slightly, leaving the forge and sneaking out of the fortress, carefully avoiding detection.

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**A/N:** Depending on how long you've known me, you may or may not recognize Amur Kao. If you don't know who he is...well, he's one of Link's Snowpeak knights, and he's a master blacksmith. Shoraen has apparently commissioned him to make her some weapons and a suit of armor, but...why? XD


	9. Games

**9: Games**

Dark loved shadow walking; to melt into nothing but a shadow on the ground, to 'see' his surroundings in his mind's eye through magic…to sneak up on people when they least expected it. Had he been asked point-blank, the ancient warrior would have vehemently denied it, but in truth…he _loved_ playing games. Even if the other players were unaware that they were part of a game. _His_ game.

His victim today was his unsuspecting wife. He enjoyed playing with her more than anyone, because she actually tolerated his schemes. Arcilla, on the other hand, would merely snatch him up in his maw and hold him there for hours until Dark managed to persuade him to let him go. There was no such thing as teleportation when you're soaked with drool and pinned under a massive tongue.

Link wasn't much fun, either, because he was always locked in that off-limits fortress. So today, he stalked his wife. First he had to locate her; sitting outside of their house reading a book. Had he not been a shadow, he would have smiled. Perfect.

He slunk around behind her, flattening his shadow into the shade of the chair she sat in…then he shifted back into his human form and grabbed her in a tight, gentle hug; Mariel yelped when she was suddenly restrained, two, strong hands holding her down.

She groaned, tilting her head back to stare up into Dark's grinning face. "Does this amuse you?"

"To no end," he replied, chuckling and kissing her ear, which made her hiss and try to wriggle away.

"You're an incorrigible rogue, and you interrupted my reading," she complained, unable to escape his grip.

"Ah, it can't have been _that_ good of a book."

"It's about the legend of the Hero of Time, actually," she replied, finally not bothering to try getting away. She knew he'd let her go eventually.

He shook his head, amused. "Was it accurate?"

She smirked. "Seems to be, but then again, only Link could say for certain. _Vilat'i Rhaetaj_ is described as a 'demonic creation of Ganondorf's dark magic,' though. And it says that Link destroyed you by chopping your head off."

He laughed, letting go and moving to sit on the ground at her feet. "No one ever said that historians were well informed."

"Well, you _did_ mislead everyone for a long time. Besides, this book was written thousands of years ago, long before you returned and froze all of Hyrule, so how were they to know that you were alive?"

"I guess. Are you done reading yet? I'm bored; Arcilla is no fun."

"I am now," she grumbled, tossing the book at him and standing up slowly. "There's not really much to do, though."

He chuckled. "We'll figure something out. Come on, let's-" he cut himself off abruptly, freezing, and Mariel frowned, confused.

"What are you doing?"

Dark tensed, eyes scanning the cliffs warily. "There's something here."

"I really hope it's just Shora again," she muttered.

"It's not," he answered quietly, his eyes glowing as he looked around, trying to identify the intrusion. "It's…" His eyes widened. "Mariel, get in the house! _Now_!"

She obeyed with alacrity, keeping the door open a crack to watch as Dark unsheathed the Shadowmaster, a low growl building up in his chest at whatever it was that he could sense.

The ground rumbled, then burst open, over thirty skeletons crawling out, brandishing swords and chattering threateningly; Dark snarled, phasing into his shadow form again. Before he could attack, however, there was a trumpeting roar, and Arcilla charged out from the barn, slashing wildly at the skeletons. They immediately retaliated, and Dark leapt at the nearest creatures, hacking them to pieces.

Arcilla bit down on one and howled as a sword pierced his side; Dark cursed, sending a wave of energy at the monsters, but it had no effect, then something hit him from behind, and he fell heavily, his vision blurring as he tried to push himself back to his feet, then he collapsed.

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**A/N: **Aaaaaaand...crap hit the fan. XD Oh dear, if both Dark and Arcilla are knocked out, then...who is going to save Mariel? O_o


	10. Sheikah

**10: Sheikah**

Mariel screamed when the sword pierced Dark's heart, and the skeletons all turned toward the house, their glowing eyes fixing on the door. In a moment of insanity, she threw the door wide open and walked out, trembling with rage. The skeletons, surprisingly, let her pass, and she collapsed next to her husband, clutching him tightly.

The creatures chattered something, closing in on her and staring, acting confused by her presence, then one of them snarled something and raised its sword to strike.

A golden light blinded her before the blade hit flesh, and there was an echoing roar, many voices shouting at once, then…silence. A calloused hand touched her arm lightly, and she shuddered, but didn't look up, hoping that the end would be quick.

"Are you Mariel?" a rough, deep voice asked; her eyes flew open in surprise at the human voice, and she looked up to find herself staring into a pair of blood-red eyes.

It looked like Dark, but this man was massive, broader and more muscular than Dark, with light brown skin and three scars slashing across his cheek. He bore the same silver hair and crimson eyes as her husband, though, and his features were so incredibly similar…she glanced down at Dark just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating; no, he was still laying there, and the stranger was still crouched beside her.

"Who…_are_ you?" she asked, confused.

The man showed no expression. "Answer me. Are you Mariel?"

"Yes…" she replied warily.

He blinked once, then looked off to his left; to her shock, they were surrounded by thirty or more people…and all of them bore the same, silver-white hair, light brown skin, and red eyes. "_Idan resae shoraen lassi,_" he called.

There was a murmur throughout the group, and she shivered. "Who are you people?"

He met her gaze again. "We are those who were exiled. We are the Garo."

"Could you be more specific?"

One corner of his mouth twitched. "We are the Sheikah."

Mariel stared at him in shock. "I, uh…aren't…aren't the Sheikah…_gone_?"

"Not quite," he said softly, switching his focus to her husband and hovering his hand over the wound; to her amazement, his hand flared with black fire, the same black fire that Dark had so often wielded, and the injury began to close.

She watched him closely; there was a small, jet black tattoo on his left wrist, a strange cross between the Hylian crest and the Sheikah eye symbol. "Why are you people helping us?"

His eyes flickered with magic, but he didn't respond, instead looking toward one of the people. "Casia, _kiraes erro_ Kallun _rara las xahla. Idan inlaia ma nillen faelit._"

Two of the Sheikah nodded and went to Arcilla, who was laying down, moaning softly as silver blood leaked onto the dusty ground from the gaping wound in his side. Mariel bit her lip, worried. "Will he be okay?"

"I am not sure," the man replied honestly, still using that black fire on Dark. "We will do all we can to heal him. Whether or not Nilrem will return from the dead is the pressing issue right now."

She frowned at him. "How do you know that name?"

"I know that name because he is my son," the man said, causing Mariel to freeze. "My name is Rethra Jualisan."

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_"Idan resae shoraen lassi."_ = "We have found them."

"Casia, _kiraes erro_ Kallun _rara las xahla. Idan inlaia ma nillen faelit._" = "Casia, you and Kallun heal the dragon. We cannot let him die."

**A/N: **Mwee hee hee hee... XD


	11. Decision

**11: Decision**

Mariel was stunned into silence, watching numbly as Rethra finished closing the wound, his blood-colored eyes never once leaving hers. "I am sorry if this is all a shock to you," he said quietly. "The Sheikah have been in exile in the lost realm of Termina for over three thousand years. We have only just now returned to Hyrule, and I expect that you likely have some questions."

She glared at him, checking Dark's chest; the wound was fully healed, though he still wasn't breathing, so she pressed her lips to his and filled his lungs. It didn't work. He remained dead.

"Bring him back," she demanded.

The man shook his head. "I cannot. Only he has the power to return himself from the Sacred Realm."

"The Sacred Realm is filled with monsters!" she exclaimed furiously. "_Majora_ is in the Sacred Realm! He can't get out without help!"

Tension rippled through the tribe, and Rethra stood, pulling her to her feet before bending to scoop his hands under Dark, lifting him with ease. Mariel felt terrified at how limp and…_fragile_ her husband looked, held in his father's arms. Rethra was over seven feet tall and incredibly muscled; Dark looked small and frail in comparison.

"I can do nothing more for him," the man replied, meeting her gaze. "We must find Relai. He will know what to do."

"Who is Relai?" she demanded, confused and upset.

"I believe you know him by the name Link," came the answer. "Casia, how is the dragon doing?"

One of the two Sheikah who had been sent to take care of Arcilla looked up, frowning. "We've closed his wounds, but it might be a little while before he wakes up."

Rethra nodded. "We need to move them all to safety. Those stalfos will return in greater numbers, and we are too few to combat them. I will take Mariel and Nilrem; follow us with the dragon after he awakens."

Mariel stiffened. "What? No! If Dark and I are missing when Arcilla wakes up, he'll kill you all!"

The one called 'Casia' scowled slightly. "She's right, _Natisan_. We certainly cannot combat a dragon."

"I have to bring Nilrem to Relai quickly, or he may be lost for eternity," Rethra growled.

"Then take him, and leave the girl behind so she can calm the dragon for us," Casia replied, eyes flashing.

"That could work," Rethra agreed.

Mariel tensed, not liking the sound of that. "You want to separate me from Dark?"

"Only temporarily," he assured her. "We cannot move the dragon while he is still unconscious, and we cannot keep your husband here or he will never awaken. You must see the wisdom in this. There is no other way."

"How do I know I can trust you with him?" Mariel asked bluntly.

"I would never do anything to harm one of my sons," Rethra answered, brow furrowing. "And Casia is my brother; he will not harm you. None of my people will."

"Then I'll agree to this. Don't make me regret my decision."

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_"Natisan." _= "Master."


	12. Enter

**12: Enter**

Rethra was uneasy. Stalfos were normally solitary creatures that kept themselves hidden within the forbidden woods, and for them to have banded together and attacked the village…something must have forced them to unite, for he knew that they would never do so willingly. If Majora was in the Sacred Realm, though, then the beast would not be able to command the dark armies, so…who was controlling the stalfos?

The thought disturbed him, that there was something else out there besides Majora. The warrior glanced down at Nilrem's slack features in concern; he hadn't seen him since he was a newborn, and to finally find him again, only to have him dead…he shook his head, increasing the length of his strides.

It had been over three thousand years since he had left Hyrule, and the kingdom was strange to him now, but Snowpeak Mountain had not changed, and he still knew his way. He saw a massive silhouette that gave him new hope and pressed onward through the drifts, clutching his dead son tighter to him as if afraid that he would vanish.

The shadow warrior, normally restrained, had no patience for subtlety; he began kicking the large, steel doors relentlessly until they jerked open and a sword was pointed at his throat.

"_Otla_," Rethra snarled, glaring at the raven-haired woman. "Lower that before I kill you. I am in no mood for games."

She blinked, stared at Nilrem's body, then shook her head. "Who in Hylia's name are you, and…is that _Vilat_?"

"He's dead," the warrior answered flatly. "I need to speak with Link. Now."

She looked surprised, but nodded, sheathing her sword and gesturing for him to enter. "Which Link are you looking for?"

That made Rethra pause. "What do you mean?"

"Are you looking for the Hero of Time or the Hero of Twilight? That makes a difference on which room I bring you to."

_Right,_ he realized. _Kao mentioned a second hero._ "The Hero of Time."

"Then follow me," she replied, and he stepped inside warily, his sharp eyes scanning each room as he was led through the fortress until they entered a library.

Link bolted to his feet in shock. "_Rethra_?!"

"It will take too long to explain, Relai," he growled, kneeling to lay Nilrem gently on the floor. "He's dead, and I need your help."

Link dropped to his knees beside them, frowning. "What happened?"

"Stalfos attacked the village," he replied, noting the look of alarm that entered his son's expression. "The dragon and Mariel are fine; my tribe is watching over them. Nilrem was stabbed through the heart, and Majora's presence in the Sacred Realm is negating his ability to come back to life. Can you help him?"

The hero placed a hand on Nilrem's cheek, his single eye narrowing in concentration; Rethra stared at him in worry as he shuddered then yanked his hand back as though stung, gritting his teeth. "His soul is imprisoned. Majora knows that he is a threat, and is keeping him contained. I can't do anything to bring him back."

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_"Otla."_ = "Stop."


End file.
